1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a relatively low cost, manually operated pressure build-up pump sprayer that has improved valving means and can be easily and efficiently primed, such that a liquid from an associated container can be atomized and sprayed after only a few stroke cycles.
2. Background Art
Conventional pressure build-up pump sprayers are typically manufactured from a relatively large number of parts. This large number of parts correspondingly results in a high manufacturing cost and an increase in the difficulty of manufacture, especially when molding of several parts is required. Moreover, the conventional pump sprayers are often difficult to assemble. Some pump sprayers have ineffective or inefficient seals, such that leakage becomes a problem, particularly if the liquid container is turned upside down or if the spray head is depressed, even slightly. Other pump sprayers require the application of a large actuating force to depress the spray head which often leads to user discomfort, especially if the sprayer is needed to spray a liquid for a long period of time. Still other pump sprayers have inefficient priming means and, consequently, must be stroked a large number of times before the sprayer can be air evacuated and filled with the liquid to be sprayed.
The presently disclosed pressure build-up pump sprayer overcomes many of the problems that are associated with conventional pump sprayers by virtue of a fewer number of parts, reduced cost, reliable sealing and valving, and an efficient priming means by which a relatively large volume of spray may be rapidly and efficiently dispensed after only a small number of priming strokes.
The pressure build-up pump sprayer that is described in this patent application is of the type that is disclosed in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,094 issued May 8, 1990.